Dreams Held Tight
by TaciteMuse
Summary: Hold those things you most love close... for tomorrow, they may be gone.
1. A Beginning

**Title:** Dreams Held Tight  
**Rating: **T  
**F.Type:** Chapter  
**Summary:** Hold those things you most love close... for tomorrow, they may be gone.

Author's Note: Well, here goes the start of my first serious chapter story... I'm both excited and nervous. Excited, because it's awesome (at least as far as actually being able to write this much) and nervous, because of what people are going to think about it. I tried really hard when writing this to stick to a plausible plot, and I hope I managed it. Thanks to my wonderful, hard working beta Sela!

All crit and comments are welcome; if you just want to drop me a line to say you're reading it, that's just as nice. -g-

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**Chapter One  
**-A Beginning-

Some stories start with a beginning; perhaps the meeting of two strangers, or the escape of a prisoner, or the birth of a child destined to rule.

Some stories, however, begin with an ending.

This is one of them.

It came as the engine rumbled into life, settling into a purr that was completely unsuitable for the black pick-up it was in. The wheels grabbed the road easily, pulling out onto the road, and heading south.

A half-wave out the window, a brief glance in the rearview mirror- and then it was gone, turning around the bend; then _he_ was gone, leaving a hole in their lives.

For the remaining members of SG-1, it was just one more moment that would make or break them.

"_Umm… Jack?" Daniel frowned and turned around, catching up with the General easily. "What are you doing?"_

_Jack glanced at him over the stack of boxes and sighed slightly._

"_What does it look like I'm doing, Daniel?"_

"_...moving?"_

"_Exactly." He hit the elevator button and it opened almost immediately._

_Sam blinked as she quickly took in the stack of boxes, Daniel's worried expression, and her former CO's exasperated look._

"_Sir?"_

"_If you'll let me in, I'll explain." He gestured roughly with the cardboard packages and she hastily pressed herself to the side, giving the large boxes more than enough room. With Daniel slipping in behind their CO, the elevator quickly became crowded; Sam slipped a few boxes from the top of the stack to help ease the burden on her commander._

_And then they both stared at Jack. The stare was distinctly child-like; similar to the one given by a confused first grader who's waiting for his mother to explain something._

_Jack's lips twitched as he kept a grin in tight check._

"_I'll tell you in a minute; just let me put these in the truck." Right on cue, the doors opened with a sulky groan and he started to walk out; unfortunately Teal'c was standing there, eyebrow raised._

"_O'Neill?"_

"_Look, come on up to the surface with me and I'll talk. But please- these are getting_ heavy_." The Jaffa obligingly took the heavier of the remaining packages and moved out of the way, letting Jack lead the troops up to his truck._

"_Why are you transporting containers to your automated vehicle, O'Neill?" Teal'c asked as they walked easily down the concrete halls._

"_That's what we'd like to know," Sam said, glancing at him with a smile. It didn't hide the faintly worried look in her eyes, but it was genuine._

"_Are you retiring?" From the look that Jack shot Daniel, not only was the answer to that a resounding 'no', the question itself was innately stupid. Somehow._

"_I tried that once- no, make that **two** times, and look what happened." He waved the boxes in front of them in an empathic gesture that almost sent a hapless Airman to the Infirmary. "Oops. Sorry."_

"_So…" Their archeologist prompted once the four had loaded the boxes on the pickup, which was almost full already. Jack took a moment to lean against the tailgate, pursing his lips thoughtfully._

"_I'm going to Washington."_

_All three stared at him, in mixed degrees of shock, disbelief, and stoic blankness/eyebrow-raising._

"_Seriously?" Sam and Daniel asked in unison. He glared at them._

"_Yes. Seriously. What, you think I'd joke about this stuff?" Then he sighed, looking tired suddenly. "Apparently they want someone for the 'Head of Homeworld Security' position in Washington and I got picked."_

"_Why not Hammond?"_

"_I'm guessing they figured he's too hard headed to manipulate."_

"_And you're not?"_

"_Their mistake. And…"_

"…_yeah."_

"_Wow. Politics. That's… a bit of surprise." She adopted an innocent look when Jack glanced her way. "What?"_

"_In-deed."_

"_Well, even** I** have higher-ups. So this is it for now. Have fun with your new commander." He joked half-heartedly. They watched silently as he opened up the driver's door and slid in, turning to look back at them before he closed it._

"_Take care. And write. Or call. If I miss the memos, I'll probably miss the letters."_

_And he was gone._

Moments, minutes later, the three turned slowly back to the Mountain and began to head back in. Finally, throwing off the morose air that had descended abruptly upon them, Daniel took a breath and visibly perked up.

"I wonder if we should warn Major Davis who's headed his way…"

And, right on cue, the klaxons began their forlorn wailing.

-

"_So, how're things over there?"_

"_Good."_

"_Okay."_

"_Acceptable."_

"_The speaker phone's working, I assume?"_

"_Yeah. Took Sam three tries to get it right."_

"_Hey, why is it that every time there's a mundane problem, **I'm** the one who gets stuck trying to make it work?"_

"_Because, Carter, when the single woman on this planet who can dismantle and reconstruct a naquadah generator in three minutes_ can't _work a VCR, it's funny."_

_-Snort-_

"_I am inclined to agree with O'Neill."_

"_See? Good ol' Teal'c even agrees with me!"_

"…_upon careful consideration, I have decided it is wiser to say that ColonelCarter is fully capable of doing 'anything she puts her mind to'."_

"_Hey- no switching sides! That's just not fair!"_

"_How're the politicians, Jack?"_

"_Oh good God, don't get me started. You know, this places needs to be shaken up a bit. Maybe we could arrange for a few motherships to try and invade over here. You'd think they're not taking the whole 'universe bent on destroying us' thing seriously!"_

"_Well, you have to admit it's a bit hard to believe it when you haven't seen the things we have, sir."_

"_Yeah, well, that's not a good enough excuse. How was your last mission?"_

"…"

"… _look, guys, the only thing keeping me from coming back there and re-instating myself as SG-1's leader is one) Carter's doing a damn fine job of it; two) I'd probably get court-martialed; and three) I'm counting on you guys to **tell** me, not make me read those damn mission reports."_

"…_well, the people there were **blue**…"_

"_See! Was that so hard? Now, keep talking."_

"…"

"_And yes, Carter, even the sciencey-techno babble."_

"_Well, we found a generator that's very similar to our electric ones of the early 1900a, but instead of running on a fuel we know of, they've actually enhanced the design and efficiency enough for it to run on air; and the possibilities of doing something to our technology is looking more and more achievable, and…"_

-

It was one of the better endings to a mission, all things considered. Everyone was in (mostly) one piece, they were back on time, the natives were promising trade…

…and they didn't have to worry about the NID trying to take over the base (again).

"Welcome back, SG-1." Walter looked at them with faint relief; the team being back meant that nothing _too_ bad could go wrong. "You're scheduled for a briefing at oh-eight-hundred." Sam nodded in response, heading off towards the locker room as the rest of SG-1 followed her- not two, now, but three.

Major Hal Brooks was a good man; honest to almost a fault, willing to listen, with honor and loyalty ingrained into his simple character. But the others knew him for what he was- a spy for the NID.

Not that he wanted to be, of course. It was just when someone held the safety of your wife and child as a bargaining tool, there wasn't much you could do.

Hal was on their team because the NID hadn't been able to force Hammond out of his position as Head of the SGC. So they had chosen to weasel their way in through underlings: at least half of the new recruits were in some way connected with the civilian organization. Not that they openly acknowledged it. All the same, the SGC knew.

It had been, therefore, with much frustration and under great pressure that Hammond had assigned a fourth member to SG-1.

_We're too unpredictable to leave unwatched._ Carter shed her (what seemed like) armory of weapons, glancing at the worried Brooks out of the corner of her eye.

_Too dangerous._ Next to her, Daniel shook out sand from his boots, wrinkling his nose.

_Too 'damn loyal' to O'Neill- _The Jaffa purposely relaxed his clenched jaw.

_-and Hammond-_

_-and the values of good and the fight against evil._ The 'originals' met each other's quick looks as Teal'c nodded to Hal, hiding his cool dislike for the NID's influence on the newbie.

"You fought well today." Then, turning, he strode out to the Cafeteria. Brooks, confused, frowned.

"But- we didn't fight."

Jackson shrugged, pulling out his translational notes of the native language.

"He means that you did a good job."

"Oh."

Passing him, Sam touched him on the shoulder.

"Really." And then she was gone, already talking with Daniel about another mission.

They supposed the NID hadn't figured out they knew about Hal; very few people would look beyond the info sheet and see the hidden nuances that practically screamed 'wiped'. SG-1 hadn't survived because they were slackers, though, and the research had paid off.

Whatever reasons, they were very well aware of the agency's insiders, and avoided them as best as humanly possible.

And if it hadn't been for Hammond, the entire base might have left long before then. But knowing that the SGC was in danger (though not from an alien, for once) and that he was depending on them, Sam, Daniel, Teal'c and the others held on. No matter how many operatives the enemy had, no matter who was a foothold, Hammond was going to stand by the unspoken ideals and pledges of the Stargate Program.

_I will be fair._

_I will be just._

_I will hold all peoples equal._

**_No man left behind_**.

Because after all, all the 'old-school' members could sense that something was coming…

…and they knew that it couldn't be anything good.

**-**

"…_and as we progress into the week, temperatures will drop an astounding twenty degrees from their already low records, leaving Colorado residents in a colder February than the previous ten years…"_

"Teal'c, change the channel!" Closing her refrigerator, she tossed a Diet Coke to the archaeologist slumped in a chair; he caught it neatly which was a measure of just how good his reflexes had gotten, seeing as a second earlier he had been half-asleep.

"I find knowing the weather most helpful, ColonelCarter." The Jaffa retorted calmly, the remote set possessively on the couch arm next to him.

"Looks like it's going to be a cold one." Daniel muttered, blinking sleepily. Sam glared at him.

"I _know_ Hammond ordered us to go home at eleven, and while I may have a thousand projects to do myself, it was a good idea. When'd you get home?" He just blinked again up at her, looking infuriatingly innocent, and she dripped cold water on him.

"Ah! Cold, cold, _cold_- what the hell was that for, Sam? Don't be mad at _us_ just because Jack hasn't e-mailed us in a week!" About to splash more ice on him, she paused.

"Someone's here…" All three glanced instinctively at towards the door, and right on cue the door bell rang. Shooting a split-second look at the other two, Carter straightened and headed purposely towards the door as Teal'c uncrossed his feet on the coffee table and Daniel visibly shifted to 'alert without coffee' mode.

Taking a moment to scan the side windows, she twisted the door knob and opened it partway, ready for anything.

A young woman in casual dress was ordinary enough; her hair, pinned back, revealed a pen tucked behind an ear, and her eyes roamed over everything, absorbing the entire scene. The most likely guess was that she worked as a secretary; everything about her said 'organized'. But it was the focus in her brown eyes, the way she studied every potential obstacle and adjusted her stance to one appropriate for fighting that told Sam she wasn't who she seemed.

She had been trained to flee first, then fight- it was apparent in every slight movement she made. Carter had no doubt, though, that the secretary would put up quite the resistance if cornered.

It was the fact that she didn't know the woman- and that there was no reason for a secretary to possibly want to talk to her- that was causing Carter to hesitate.

The other woman spoke first, eyes snapping to her face as soon as the door opened.

"Lieutenant Colonel Carter?"

She raised an eyebrow, tensing slightly. People asking for her by her military rank meant **trouble**.

"Yes?"

"I have some news you might want to hear about; it concerns the disappearance of Brigadier General Jack O'Neill…"

Yeah, **that** kind of trouble.

To Be Continued...


	2. Bidding Time

**Title:** Dreams Held Tight  
**Rating: **T  
**F.Type:** Chapter  
**Summary:** Hold those things you most love close... for tomorrow, they may be gone.

**Chapter Summary: **The wheels are in motion, the brakes don't work, and there's no way to stop what's already happened...

Author's Note: Enjoy:D

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**Chapter Two**  
-Bidding Time-

"So Jack went missing a week ago?" Daniel repeated, as though to be sure that he was hearing Clarissa right. They were inside Sam's house, gathered loosely around the coffee table as the aide told them what she knew.

"That's it. When he didn't show up on Tuesday morning, I called his cell, his house, and finally the President. Who, in turn, began a hushed MP search the next day."

SG-1 glanced at each other, sharing the same thoughts.

If it had been the Asgard, the President wouldn't have started the investigation in the first place.

If it had been another friend or foe, cloaking devices regardless, SGC and NORAD would have known immediately when the ring's/transport beam's unique signature appeared in space. Which meant that it wasn't something the SGC specialized in.

Your average SF crazed lunatic who thought that Jack might be connected to aliens could have snatched him, but there were very few ordinary people who could best him in a combat or fight situation.

And last but not least, the ever ambitious NID, Trust, or rogue organization could have abducted the Head of Homeworld Security for any number of reasons; however, the risks accompanying it were far too great to be worthwhile.

…right?

"Why come to my house?" Sam asked, breaking off the thought chain.

"We found his cell in the living room; your phone number was the last he had called." Clarissa explained, looking slightly expectant. The Colonel frowned.

"I never got a call from him while I was home… and there weren't any new messages when we got back from off-world."

"Was there evidence of a fight?" Teal'c had been silent for most of the time Clarissa had been talking, but the set of his jaw told the others he was as worried as they were. Not that he'd show it.

"No. The CSIs found no blood, weapons, fingerprints other than his own in his house and car, or signs of a forced entry- it was as though he had gotten up and walked out on his own." It was Clarissa's turn to look curious. "How long have you been working together with General O'Neill?"

"Ten years, come autumn." Jackson replied vaguely, pursuing a stray thought as his eyes drifted over the wall.

"Have you checked his cabin?" There wasn't a big chance that he had gotten a sudden urge to go there and not told anyone, but with Jack you never quite knew.

"Yes. Empty. It was obvious that no one had been there in at least three months, given the dust that was everywhere." Checking his watch, Clarissa frowned.

"I've got to go- there's a meeting at two in DC I have to be back to take notes for. Here's my cell number. Call me if you hear anything or need a connection in Washington." She grinned slightly. "No one looks at the meek little 'secretaries'…"

"If you find anything, could you let us know?"

"Yes. Of course. I always find out before everyone else anyway- and you deserve to know."

Getting her bag, she nodded to them and walked out the door, heading towards her car.

-

They met again in Daniel's study, mainly because others could find them too easily in Sam's lab and Teal'c's on-base room had only candles and a bed.

"Damn." It was Jackson who spoke first, crossing his arms and glaring at an innocent piece of pottery.

"I can understand why they didn't tell us in our daily contacts off world," Sam began, looking upset, "but why not at least _mention_ something once we got back? The whole base must have known!"

"Perhaps they did not." Hands clasped behind him, the Jaffa kept his expression calm. "They may not have been told, which would explain their silence."

"Yes, but how do you keep the _entire SGC_ from finding out that Jack's missing?" His teammate demanded, anger and frustration fighting on his face. Sam drew in a breath.

"No one would have to know." When they looked at her, she bit her lip. "The only people who talk with him on a regular basis would be us and the base commander-"

And she fell silent as the implications began to unfold.

"I find it hard to believe that Hammond would hide such knowledge from his people." A cheek muscle twitched along Teal'c's jaw as he spoke.

"That would _have_ to mean that the NID or someone just as powerful was involved- there would be no other reason not to at least tell the SGC or let Hammond find out."

"We can't rule out everyone else." Sam pointed out, but even to her the words sounded half hearted.

"It's got to be them. Well, we can go talk to-"

"Who?" Teal'c placed his broad hands on the cold table, leaning forward as anger lit his dark eyes. "The mere fact that the rest of the SGC does not know means that whoever has done this is powerful, has connections within the Base- wishes that _no one_ find out and attempt to look for O'Neill. And should we even hint that we know…"

They could fill in the silence.

"There have to be watchers on my house; probably your apartments too." She ran a hand through her hair, distracted. "It's what I would do. Now that they know that we know…"

"They're going to make a move." Daniel finished.

"Are you so sure they already haven't?" Their teammate asked quietly, not even looking towards the security camera in the corner. When the other two stiffened, surprised, he continued. "GeneralO'Neill has disappeared. The SGC was not informed. I do not doubt that certain SG teams have been approached and asked or ordered to bring home other alien artifacts. The NID must be subtle; they cannot afford to challenge us yet.

"But with O'Neill gone, they have nothing in their way except us. And even that may not be for long."

"You really think they'd try to get rid of us?" The archaeologist asked out of the corner of his mouth, examining a vase.

"I do not doubt it."

"So, what? We just go on like he hasn't disappeared? With the Asgard out restoring what the Replicators destroyed, they're out of all but a mothership's long range comm. We're not even sure the Tok'ra are still around! I'd say look for Jack's locator, but his body kept rejecting it." For once, Sam looked- and felt- helpless.

"Where do we go from here?"

"We do what we can." Teal'c told them, and that was all he could say.

-

_From: 'Br. General O'Neill (joneill(at)pentagon.gov)  
To: 'Daniel' __(abydoniansky(at)cheyenne.gov)  
__Cc: 'Carter' (scarter3(at)cheyenne.gov), 'T' __(freedomshat(at)cheyenne.gov)_  
___Re: E-Mail_

___Hey guys. Things are, as usual, dead boring in Washington. Hopefully you're having a better time than I am._

___Which is almost a guarantee, actually._

___How's the new guy holding up? Whats-his-name- the Major. Him._

___Ah. Hal. Clarissa just reminded me. Apparently this is why I now have an 'administrative aide'- to read the mission reports _for_ me._

___Yes. Well._

___Not much to say, apparently. So I'll make this quick and finish it up, leaving you guys to save us all again. _

___Everything's as normal as it gets over here; however, I'm getting the feeling that something's up._

___The politicians are acting entirely too cheerful._

___Besides that, I think I may have seen someone tailing me home the other day. It was probably nothing; I'm only telling you this because you threatened to bribe Clarissa to follow me everywhere, Spacemonkey. You know she has a picture of you hidden under-_

___And she's just threatened to change my coffee to decaf. Damn you, Daniel. Damn you!_

___Anyway, that's all._

___Let me know when you guys get back._

___-Jack_

_-_

___Ring. Ring. Ri-_

_"Agent Barrett." The male voice sounded hurried and annoyed by the unexpected phone call._

_"Malcolm, I'm only going to ask nicely once. Come down to the corner of White Oak and South Street, parkside. Now." Sam hung up the pay phone immediately, turning to face the other two as she pulled off her black gloves._

_"Are you sure he's going to come?" Daniel asked, obviously unconvinced that her brief message would be enough to get Agent Barrett to meet with them. She smiled, but it was grim._

_"Oh, yes. I called him by his first name. I mean business." They turned and began to walk slowly down towards the park, seeming to chat nonchalantly about nothing in particular._

_And sure enough, once they rounded into view of White Oak Street, one very grumpy NID agent was waiting for them._

_"Colonel Carter, Dr. Jackson, Te- Murray." He nodded to each of them, curiosity started to show through the polite mask._

_"Care to go for a walk?" At her glance towards the park trails, the NID lifted an eyebrow but nodded slowly._

_"What's this all about, Colonel Carter?" He asked once they were out of earshot of bystanders. "I have the President breathing down my neck, a stack of paperwork a mile high, and I don't know anything about…"_

_She leapt on his hesitation._

_"About O'Neill's disappearance? I think you do, Agent Barrett. Otherwise I wouldn't have called you."_

_"It could have been one of your… friends." He retorted._

_"It wasn't an alien," Daniel said offhand, deceptively casual; however, his sharp blue eyes were pinning the other man in place. "So it's not __our _area of expertise…" Knowing how it felt themselves (but also knowing that Agent Barrett was most certainly withholding information), Sam and Teal'c watched without pity.

_Finally the NID agent looked away from the archaeologist._

_"No. NOT the NID." He said, almost vehemently. "I __know_ that SGC members are from our organization, but they are in no way acting with official NID leave!"

_"Official." The Jaffa raised an eyebrow. "Curious wording, AgentBarrett."_

_Malcolm sighed._

_"So it's not the NID." Sam stated, as if to make sure. "Then your best guess would be the Trust, wouldn't it?"_

_"I don't know where the Trust is now. I wish I could help you. But someone else in the NID has been covering their tracks, and they've vanished. It's more than likely that it's one of __their_ plots, assuming your… friends weren't around when he disappeared."

_"The only problem with that theory is that our last blow struck them hard; they simply wouldn't have the resources right now to do anything." Sam interjected._

_"Not to mention the huge __risks_ they'd be taking by engaging the SGC, with or without our people-" He bit off the next word, obviously realizing the implications of what he had been about to say were.

_"The NID has studied this before." Teal'c rumbled, doing a study of his own on Barrett._

_"Yes. In case it was ever necessary. To start with, there's your locator system. As soon as he disappeared, all you would have to do would be to contact the Prometheus and look for the sublight signal. Removing the locator is an option, but your newest upgrade of the system makes that virtually impossible." He looked at them, only to be met by three serious faces._

_"As much as the NID knows about us, I would expect you to know about the details of the Ancient gene that Jack possesses. It specifically helps to fight off and reject foreign bodies: alien viruses, the common cold…"_

_…a locator…_

_From the surprise on his face, they guessed he hadn't known._

_"It's not just that though." Barrett continued after a moment. "The NID is very well aware of the fact that you represent Earth to the people of other galaxies, and are the first to encounter alien technology. We've always assumed that you have aces up your sleeve that we know nothing about. I'm not going to ask you about that- that's the SGC's business."_

_They had begun walking again, passing by several runners._

_"And as we know all too well-" What might have been a wry smile twisted on his lips. "The fact that you're so __damn stubborn_."

_It was true._

_"But you do admit that there is someone in the NID who works for the Trust, or one of the rouges?"_

_"…yes. There has to be."_

_"Okay. If you can, I want the names and locations of all last known Trust and released NID operatives. I know you don't think this is something the SGC should take care of-"_

_"Seeing as NID are currently in the Mountain-" he muttered softly._

_"-but we're his team. When you work with someone…" She trailed off, dropping the confrontational stance._

_Malcolm closed his eyes, and sighed._

_"__Damn_. I'll try, Colonel Carter, but I give you no guarantees. Just as long as you understand it's not us who's done this."

_Sam nodded._

_"All I need you to do __is_ try." As they turned to go, she put a hand on his arm. "Thank you."

_"No, thank me when you've found him." He replied, watching them leave. "And for all it's worth- I hope you do."_

_-_

For once the base was quiet; no klaxons going off at unexplained hours, no malfunctions of the Stargate, no coffee in the coffeepot (which was, by all accounts, sacrilege)…

But SG-1 was there, as it had been since the project had first started. Sitting in the corner of the cafeteria, the four were picking silently at their food. Finally, as though realizing why the others were not talking, Major Brooks blinked.

"Oh. Ah- I'm going to go… work on the… plants that we brought back from P5D-953." Managing to escape somewhat less-than-gracefully, Hal beat a quick retreat so that the originals could talk.

Once he was gone, Daniel sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"Is that it? Do we just give up now?"

"No." Came Sam's firm, quick reply. "We don't give up on him- on anyone. Ever."

"Indeed."

"But from here on out it'll get only harder. We're going to have to find a way to save him, from wherever he is- whatever has him. And it's not going to be without a cost."

"It never has been."

"We can be sure that the NID is going to try and stop us, Barrett aside."

"He's only one man, Daniel. He does what he can. As we all do."

"I will not give up on O'Neill. He is counting on us."

"You got that right, Teal'c."

" 'One for all, all for- who the hell made up that line anyway?' "

"Quit laughing, Sam."

"I will, it's just- funny to watch Teal'c imitate the General."

"So- we getting him back, one way or another?"

"Indeed."

"Of course. We're SG-1."

**To Be Continued...**


	3. Vanishing Act

**Title:** Dreams Held Tight  
**Rating: **T  
**F.Type:** Chapter  
**Summary:** Hold those things you most love close... for tomorrow, they may be gone.

**Chapter Summary: **To keep your eyes only on the present is to die not knowing if there will be tears at your funeral.

No, I'm not. Just giving the muses a break. As it is, they've come up with several other ideas, but I figured you'd like to read the next chapter before the muses took over. ;)

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**Chapter Three**  
-Vanishing Act-

The briefing had been the day before; P3X-214 appeared void of intelligent life, but a preliminary reading had shown significant amounts of naquadah. SG-1's purpose was to determine if there was in fact humanoid life and the suitability of developing a mine.

"Chevron 7 locked." Sergeant Walter's voice came over the PA as SG-1 adjusted their gear, watching as the wormhole roared open. Brooks glanced over at Sam, curious when he noticed her unusually large assortment of equipment.

"What are you carrying, Colonel Carter?" She finished buckling a pouch to her leg harness and looked up.

"I'm trying out a new naquadah detector, but I'm not sure if the power pack will hold out long enough for it to get a good reading. Would you like to see it?" Just as he started to blanch (and she to laugh) General Hammond interrupted.

"SG-1, you have a go." They nodded and walked up the ramp, out to a planet in a galaxy far, far away.

"Breet! Breet!" Something vaguely insect-like jumped across the stone steps, startled by their entrance. Daniel crouched down to watch it burrow into the sandy ground.

"Well, at least there's life here." Teal'c was scanning the area, looking intently at the scruffy trees that mingled with open space. Sam was pulling out a set of complicated wires, flicking a quick look at Brooks as she did.

_It was a week ago; SG-1 was out on a scouting mission. The had just begun to poke around when Brooks stopped, doing the male equivalent of biting his lip as the rest of SG-1 halted too. _

_"You're good people; all of you. Colonel O'Neill is too. I met him, once, before he left. I can see why he'd fight Washington to save the Stargate program… you're his family. _

_"This is something worth fighting for- fighting the right way. No matter what anyone else says." He looked pained and… resigned? "But that's not my point. What I wanted to tell you is that I have… acquaintances who ask me to watch you and report back. And they don't want you to find Jack." _

_It was nothing more than they already knew. _

_"Find him. Please. I don't know what they've done with him, but… you are all that really stands between Earth and destruction. And… you're good people." _

_Teal'c, Daniel and Sam traded glances, silent communication passing by the admitted spy. _

_Finally, Carter nodded. _

_"Thank you for telling us." _

_And that was that. _

There. The wormhole had disengaged. She knelt and started to put the sensors in the ground. Daniel, done studying the alien creature, had risen and was now drifting towards Hal, who in turn passed Sam to head towards the trees.

"No sight of habitation, though that's never meant anything…" Their archaeologist mused.

Teal'c stopped before a hissing pool of liquid, raising an eyebrow as the green acid dissolved a tossed stone in seconds.

"ColonelCarter, are you sure that this planet is safe?"

When she didn't reply, they turned around.

The chevrons locked, the Stargate lit up, and-

Sam was gone.

-

_"What?!" _

_Hammond__ sighed, closing his eyes to avoid the sight of Daniel's outrage-and-without-coffee expression. _

_"I can't say no to this, Dr. Jackson. It is what the Stargate Program was originally designed to do!" _

_"But sir, we know from past experience that doing that is almost always-" _

_"I know, Colonel. However, the President seems to be slightly deaf to my advice on the subject right now. I've managed to convince the NID, who is behind the motion, that taking away each and every piece of alien technology we find is not the best idea, as has been proven before." _

_"So, what? Are we just going to sit down and let them take whatever they want from anyone?" _

_"No. You are to use your own judgment in securing alien devices, but without physical results, I cannot guarantee the continued existence of the SGC." _

_"…there's nothing we can do?" _

_"Cooperate, Dr. Jackson, and perhaps the President will be willing to listen to me sometime soon. I wish I could change his orders, but I can't." _

_"The NID is seizing this opportunity to make changes while there is no one in Washington to oppose them, are they not?" _

_"They are, and the sooner we find General O'Neill, the sooner this madness ends, Teal'c." _

_"…how's the search going?" _

_Hammond looked at them carefully, but their faces gave away nothing than the expected emotions: worry, distress, weariness. And just a bit of hope. _

_"I'm sure you have your own sources, but the official word is 'not good'. He has essentially vanished from the face of the Earth." _

_"Sir, why didn't you inform the SGC of his disappearance before we returned?" _

_The General turned to watch the inactive Stargate out the briefing room window, pursing his lips. _

_"Because strange things have happened, Colonel, in relation to SG-1." _

_"…and you thought that by returning, we might somehow bring him back?" _

_"Yes. Now, I need to brief SG-17 on the new standing orders, so you are dismissed." _

_And the three left the room quietly, the need to find their missing member (because they had never thought of Jack as anything but) hardened into crystal clarity. _

_Somehow, it had become a simple sentence: 'Find him, or our world falls apart.' _

-

**"What?!"**

Everyone within hearing range of the briefing room winced.

SG-1- what was left of it, anyway- had returned over an hour ago. However General Hammond had been stuck on Level 21 while SG-17 tried to catch a runaway alien (suspiciously fluffy and cute), and therefore not heard the news:

Lt. Colonel Samantha Carter had gone AWOL.

Teal'c had come through the Gate first, face as stony as Mt. Everest, and just as likely to talk. A confused and deeply worried Major Brooks had followed him, obviously thinking about what his 'acquaintances' were going to say about the new development and wondering why Sam had run off. Bringing up the rear of the group had been Daniel, who looked at once upset and angry.

Of course, the rumors had begun flying as soon as the Stargate shut down, but none of them were saying anything.

Well, that was, until the General got hold of them.

"So you are telling me that _Lt. Colonel Carter_ just _got up_ and _went through the Stargate?_"

"Indeed."

"I don't believe it."

"It is quite true, General Hammond."

"No, I mean- why the hell would she have done something like this?"

Dr. Joel, who had realized they might want the medical side of things, spoke up.

"I don't know what it might have been, sir, but it wasn't something that we could detect. Both her recent physicals and pre-offworld exams gave no indication of a foreign virus or agent in her body. Teal'c, Dr. Jackson and Major Brooks were clean on their post-ops, and the readings from the second MALP say there's nothing on P3X-214 that shouldn't be."

"And you three didn't notice her acting differently, _at all_?"

"Jack's disappearance hit us all hard, General Hammond, but she seemed fine today. I have no idea why she would have done this."

From the stormy look in his eyes, it was obvious that the SGC commander didn't believe them. At all.

But what could he say? What could be proven? Could he accuse SG-1 of plotting to do- what, exactly? Go AWOL? Desert? Then why hadn't the other three gone too? Being under an unknown and possibly non-existent alien influence?

That's when the NID 'observer' spoke up.

"I suggest that we ask them further questions when we have confirmation that they are telling the truth."

They all glanced at him. He was smiling faintly.

"I believe the Tok'ra device will do nicely."

And at the first sign of the intense hatred the three 'originals' bore him and Major Hal's unease, his smile only grew wider.

-

_"General O'Neill's office, Clarissa speaking." A smooth voice that was obviously used to repeating things over and over; Sam grinned a bit as Teal'c tilted his head. He tended to treat someone on the phone like they were actually there; it was a habit of his they hadn't noticed before. _

_"Clarissa. This is Teal'c of the SGC. Is O'Neill there?" _

_"Who- oh. Oh!" She sounded surprised. "Ah- yes. Well, no. Actually, he left me a note about what I was supposed to tell you. Hold on." _

_Daniel looked at Sam with raised eyebrows, openly curious about the secretary's response. _

_"Here it is. 'In a meeting, so unless it's something that I can blow these idiots up with, call back in an hour.' Oops, that's crossed out- make that 'two days'." _

_"Thank Clarissa. Let him know we called, oka-" _

_Before the Colonel could finish, they heard someone come running in and grab the phone from the secretary. _

_"Look, I just told the Ambassador from France that- ah, Ambassador. Sorry, on the phone- saving the world, you know how it is." _

_An image of Jack sitting in a chair, waving a hand nonchalantly at a disgruntled politician, fit the conversation very well. _

_"Yes, yes, of _course_ I'll get back to you- no, I mean it this time- really! Clarissa, make an appointment for tomorrow. I'll have my people talk to your people. Thanks. Yes, have a good day." _

_Jackson__ covered a snicker as a relieved sigh echoed through the phone line. _

_"I _hate_ politics." _

_"Really, sir? I seem to recall you loving it immensely…." _

_"They're worse than the damn Goa'uld. These guys are kissing ass one day, and backstabbing bastards the next. That loonybin French ambassador wants- what's that, Clarissa? Oh. Good point. Hold on." There was a click, a pause, and then another click. _

_"Okay, now that I'm actually in my office- please tell me that you have some good news?" _

_"Depends on what you mean by good." _

_"DanielJackson encountered a device which had a similar function to Machello's." _

_"Wha- oh, the body switching?" Now he sounded interested. Daniel, on the other hand, was glaring daggers at Teal'c. _

_"Indeed. Only this appeared to switch him into the body of Nurse Richardson." _

_"…the red-head?" _

_"Indeed." _

_"…_with_ Nurse Mary?" _

_"Yes, sir." While amused, Sam had understood Mary's own confusion and desperation, and silently reminded the other two that it wasn't _that_ funny. _

_"…did I get sent that report?" _

_"Sir!" _

_"Okay, okay. On another subject- are we in danger of dying slash annihilation slash mass invasion anytime soon?" _

_"We don't have anything planned, sir…" _

_"See if you can get the Goa'uld to drop by tomorrow, around, say, three-ish. I promised the French Ambassador I'd discuss very dry and boring and non-fish related things with him, for the tenth time this week." _

_Faintly, in the background: _

_"And you managed to conveniently avoid them every time, sir." _

_"Hey, I didn't _plan_ that foothold situation!" _

_"It was a fish, sir. A _goldfish_." _

_"You can never tell!" _

_Hiding smiles and laughs, his team listened to the friendly banter with relief. _

-

"Can he do this?" Daniel asked General Hammond out of the side of his mouth as Teal'c sat in front of the Tok'ra device, face perfectly deadpan.

"I'm afraid so, Dr. Jackson. Were we to refuse, he would tell his… superiors that he was suspicious of alien influence or a foothold situation in the SGC, and then we'd be in even bigger trouble." He looked at the younger man seriously.

"There is no reason for you to avoid undergoing the procedure though, is there?"

_Are you lying to me?_

And while Daniel knew that the General hoped in that small, small part of him _not_ tied up with being the base commander that SG-1 had a plan up it's collective sleeves, any sign of a plot would be followed with swift justice. Even if he was a civilian and Teal'c an alien.

So it was with a tiny bit of regret that he shook his head.

"No. It's just…"

_Not right_.

Without answering, Hammond turned his eyes back to the scene below. The NID agent glanced up at him for permission to start; only a token gesture, seeing as the weasel knew he was in full control of the situation.

"Now. For the record. Who are you?"

"I am Teal'c, former Prime of Aphosis, now part of the SGC and SG-1."

Blue.

"Are you aware that your former commander, General Jack O'Neill, disappeared recently?"

"Yes."

"Who do you think was respons-"

"Mr. Kellen." Hammond's voice was like a knife. "Out of line."

"Did you have any knowledge pertaining to Lt. Colonel Carter's disappearance on P3X-214?"

"Since O'Neill's 'disappearance' her behavior has been erratic. I know of no specific cause."

When the agent glanced at the screen, he seemed (not surprisingly) disappointed to find that it was blue.

"Are you in any way involved with an attempt to find General O'Neill?"

"As all of the SGC is, AgentKellen."

Blue.

After a few more minutes, it became obvious that the NID man was going to have more luck drawing blood from a stone than a lie from Teal'c. Daniel wanted to cheer as the Jaffa deftly evaded trick questions with one word answers, knowing that he wasn't lying… exactly.

It was the same for his interview too, and then Hal's; an hour later the interrogator reluctantly let the three of them go.

"You aren't planning on returning them to active duty anytime soon, I assume." It was addressed to General Hammond, and was more an order than a question.

"No; I have technicians working on the DHD as we speak, attempting to determine the address Lt. Colonel Carter dialed when leaving P3X-214. Should they be able to recover it, I'll let you know."

As Daniel and Teal'c made their way towards the cafeteria, Major Brooks having already gone back to his room, the pager Daniel seldom wore vibrated. He paused, frowning as he unclipped it to read the message, and then looked up.

"It's Barrett. He's got the names."

-

_The Goa'uld weren't all powerful. That much the Tau'ri had always known. _

_They didn't have that great of a memory, either. Most of what a Goa'uld 'knew' was stored in the host's brain; should they chose to abandon the body, they simply ripped the knowledge from it and then implanted the memories into the new one. And in order to aid them, they built a machine. _

Sam steadied herself against the DHD, taking a precious moment to get her breath back. 3 virtually consecutive trips through a 'Gate tended to disorient the traveler, and she was no exception.

_It's purpose was simple: to literally download information from any data source into a host's mind. _

_And because they were paranoid, it could only be activated by and used on a Goa'uld- or rather, their body. _

_Which meant that she was the only one who could use it. _

Her pack hit the ground with a heavy thud as the Colonel sat on the stone steps, cradling her head in her hands.

The knowledge beat against her mind like a trapped bird, the sound of wings pounding in her ears.

_Soon Earth would be an enemy masquerading as a friend. _

_Those who trusted it had to be warned. _

Sam opened her eyes and pulled her hands away, taking a breath of alien air.

It was time to begin, and she had so very little time…

Turning her hands palm up she studied the word written in Sharpie, and, triggered by the keyword, the list of planetary addresses and report summaries scrolled through her mind.

There. That one. Getting up, Lt. Colonel Samantha Carter, AWOL, picked up her pack and dialed the next 'Gate. It weighed heavily on her back, carefully packed with "pilfered" medical supplies, a scrap force field, enough ammo and food to keep her going until she could barter supplies from the natives, and the hopes and dreams of her teammates; of the SGC.

The wormhole engaged and she walked through, not looking back.

_"Surely another word would be suitable, ColonelCarter."_ Teal'c's gaze had been solemn, and a hint of regret lingered there. She hadn't been able to find the will to smile.

_"Trust me. This one is right."_ So he had given her the Jaffa word for loyalty.

Trac'nor:

Unswerving in allegiance.

Traitor:

Betrayer of trust.

**To Be Continued...  
**


End file.
